Use Case
Unlocking the Ocean’s Industrial Data with the UN Ocean Decade
About the Ocean Decade Corporate Data Group
The UN Ocean Decade Corporate Data Group (CDG) is a working group of action. Co-chaired by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and Fugro, the CDG brings together leading companies, scientists, and data experts to solve a pressing ocean problem: the lack of publicly accessible ocean data from ocean industries.
According to a HUB Ocean report that was written with support from the members of the CDG, only 3% of ocean biodiversity data in global repositories comes from the private sector. This is not just a missed opportunity—it’s a critical gap that limits our ability to understand, protect, and sustainably manage the ocean.
Institutional members of the Corporate Data Group, include: Equinor, BP, Van Oord, TotalEnergies, Mainstream Renewable Power, Ava Ocean, Alcatel Submarine Networks, Ecowende, Shell, Ørsted, Fugro SBM Offshore, and HUB Ocean,
What the CDG Has Delivered
The CDG has already produced topic-based guidelines for industrial data sharing, including:
Bathymetry Data Sharing Guideline: A practical framework for companies to share seabed mapping data with platforms like GEBCO and Seabed 2030.
Coming soon…. Marine Mammal Observations Guideline: Guidelines to help companies share biodiversity observations collected during offshore operations.
These guidelines are not theoretical—they are being used by companies today to unlock data and contribute to global repositories like OBIS, GBIF and more.
Tools for Companies: The Data Sharing Toolkit
To make data sharing easier, the Ocean Data Sharing Decade Coordination Office has developed a Data Sharing Toolkit that includes:
Templates for data management plans
Metadata standards
Repository recommendations
Legal and policy guidance
These resources are designed to help companies move from intention to implementation—quickly and securely.
HUB Ocean’s Role
As a founding member of the CDG, HUB Ocean plays a central role in:
Co-authoring the Tides of Transparency report, the first global mapping of industrial ocean data sharing
Hosting events like Ocean Data Action Day, which convenes leaders from industry, science, and government to spotlight use cases and success stories
Operating the Ocean Data Platform (ODP), a cloud-based geospatial platform where companies can share, visualize, and analyze data in line with FAIR principles
HUB Ocean also supports the work of Kjell Inge Røkke, the UN Ocean Decade Special Emissary for Industrial Ocean Data, who advocates for transparency and collaboration across ocean industries.
Why This Matters Now
The ocean is under pressure. Climate change, biodiversity loss, and industrial expansion are converging. At the same time, the demand for ocean space—from energy, aquaculture, and shipping—is growing exponentially. We need better data to manage this growth wisely. And a lot of that data already exists—inside companies.
The CDG is building the frameworks, tools, and momentum to unlock it. But we need more companies to step forward.
A Call to Action
If your company operates in the ocean, you have data that matters. Join the CDG. Use the toolkit. Share your data. Help build the future of ocean science and sustainability.
As Vidar Helgesen, Executive Secretary of IOC-UNESCO, puts it:
“We must exploit the vast amounts of existing datasets locked away in unconnected databases. Industry and governments must work together to establish pathways that facilitate data sharing and benefit both stakeholders equally”.
And as Kimberly Mathisen, CEO of HUB Ocean, says:
“The companies that embrace transparency now are lighting the way for others—and positioning themselves to thrive as new paradigms take hold.”.
